But, when we first caught a glimpse last fall, I was most excited about one specific thing: finishing this last chunk of tour in Florida, near Orlando. And though Florida is not among my favorite places to travel (please see: humidity), there are a few reasons I love Florida.
1) Oranges. (Not only did the air near the venue in Avon Park smell of orange blossoms, but the venue also gave us freshly-squeezed OJ. It was both unbelievable and nutritious.)
2) Cuban food. (Thank you, Cuba, for frying plantains.)
There is a final, two-fold reason, however, which is easily the most important: Orlando is the home of Disney World and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Part of my nerdiness involves being a huge Harry Potter fan. I may or may not have been "that guy"...you know, the one who co-founded the "Harry Potter Guild" in high school, attended an informal school dance dressed as Harry (with the other co-founder, my date, as Hermione), and used that same outfit as a fall-back for multiple Halloweens thereafter...
That being quite shamelessly admitted, you can probably imagine my excitement at getting the opportunity to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
So, after our final performance on Saturday, Kiana and I grabbed a ride to Orlando with her Disney World-employed, Jungle Cruise-operating friend, Kate, and began what were, unequivocally, the two most magical days of my life.
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| ...this guy was not enjoying the parade/dance party. [Click on the picture to see it larger.] |
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| Epcot. |
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| Fireworks: making your day instantly better since the 12th century. |
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| Dole Pineapple Whip: making your day instantly better than any day with fireworks since whenever Dole Pineapple Whip was invented. |
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| The entrance to Hogsmeade! |
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| Hogwarts. |
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| Waiting in line for "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey"...easily the most stunning theme park ride I've ridden. I was honestly speechless afterward. |
Nearly every shop window has some really neat, animated display. Inside the Quality Quidditch Supplies store window (it's just a window, not an actual store), these bludgers are just waiting to escape from the box!
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| A wall of wands in Ollivanders. |
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| Pumpkin juice. |
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| Butterbeer! |
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| Honeydukes Sweetshop. |
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| Eating dinner in The Three Broomsticks. (It's just as cozy at it looks!) |
Should you visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a few quick notes:
- arrive as early as possible, and go straight to the line for "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey"
- do wait in line for Ollivanders, even if the line is long
- plan to have a meal in The Three Broomsticks (the food was unexpectedly good for a theme park!)
- you really only need one day to take it all in (it's a pretty small part of Universal Studios' Islands of Adventure)
A special thanks to Kate for getting us into Disney World, letting us crash with her, and showing us around; also, to Barrage, for buying my park ticket as a birthday gift!
Spending one day at the happiest place on Earth and one day at the most magical place on Earth was definitely a brilliant way to start a break.
5 comments:
Harry Potter world! Ahhhh! It looks kind of awesome. Also guess who may be moving to CA at the end of the summer and immediately buying a local's Disneyland pass. . .
Taylor! That is fantastic! I am SO jealous of your Pineapple Whip and SO jealous of your Harry Potter adventures. Man. That is awesome.
Do you know what I love the most here....that you are just so open to your nerdiness. It's truly your most endearing quality. You're the coolest most talented, adorablest nerd I know.
That Harry Potter world looked awesome. How fun that you got to go and experience that.
hmmm! love me some butterbeer!!!!
Dude, with the way you take pictures of stuff, you could probably be a pro!!(:
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